A new collection of bespoke highly complicated watches from Vacheron Constantin made their global debut in Dubai, UAE.

Made by Atelier Cabinotiers, the Swiss manufacture’s bespoke services department, the collection includes the Maître Cabinotier Retrograde Armillary Tourbillon, Maître Cabinotier 15-Complications Lions and the Malte tourbillon high jewellery watch.

The Monday launch was attended by VIPs, socialites and bloggers from the region who not only discovered the breathtaking pieces but also met with the Director of Atelier Cabinotiers Dominique Bernaz

The Maître Cabinotier Retrograde Armillary Tourbillon follows the success of Atelier Cabinotiers’ Reference 57260 pocket watch, billed as the most complicated watch ever made with 57 complications and launched last year.

Bearing the Hallmark of Geneva, the new watch was produced by the three master watchmakers who created Reference 57260, incorporating two complicated features: the armillary tourbillon and the double retrograde indication. Its contemporary styling opens the remarkable structure of the calibre 1990 movement to view. The high-precision manually wound movement is housed in a 45.7-mm case in white gold. Four patent applications have been filed for this unique model.

The lighting reaction of the retrograde hands contrasts with the statelier pace of the armillary tourbillon with a spherical balance spring. The elegantly structured tourbillon operates as a sphere perpetually rotating on two axes under a sapphire crystal dome at 9 o'clock. It’s called an armillary tourbillon because it is based on an armillary sphere like the one incorporated in an astronomic clock made by French clockmaker Antide Janvier in the 18th century. The tourbillon is a visual evocation of the rings and hoops of the ancient model of the celestial sphere. The tourbillon carriage, made of light aluminium alloy, incorporates Vacheron Constantin’s Maltese Cross emblem, which forms up every 15 seconds as the tourbillon rotates.

The manually wound calibre 1990 movement developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin features retrograde hours and minutes indications with instant flyback. The double indications are as technically fascinating as they are visually mesmerizing. The hands flick back to zero at such a speed that special attention is needed to ensure a precise indication and lightweight and resistant materials as the titanium used in the hands.

Another feature that makes the watch original is the modern styling applied to the architecture and finish of the movement. The calibre 1990 is electro-plated with an NAC treatment in a dark anthracite colour creating a mirror-polished effect. On the dial side the movement displays its modern architecture with sharply cut bridges tempered by a sunburst satin finish and Geneva stripes. The back presents a more conventional look, finished with Geneva stripes making an elegant counterpoint to the contemporary face of the watch. As an additional token of excellence, the painstaking work of chamfering all the edges took more than 130 hours.

Meanwhile, the Maître Cabinotier 15-Complications Lions is equipped with an exceptional set of functions and featuring a hand-engraved case with four lions on a savannah background. This impressive feat of miniaturisation, driven by manual-winding calibre, brings together 15 of the most demanding haute horlogerie complications and gives pride of place to astronomical functions. Bearing the Hallmark of Geneva, the movement is housed within a 47 mm-diameter, 19.1-mm-thick 18-karat pink gold case. Inspired by the Tour de l’Ile - one of the most complicated wristwatches made by the Geneva brand in 2005 to commemorate its 250th anniversary – the watch demonstrates Vacheron Constantin’s expertise in combining multiple complications within an extremely small space.

Finally the Malte tourbillon high jewellery, certified by the Hallmark of Geneva, brings together the magic of watchmaking and the mystery of gem-setting. This unique handcrafted piece is dressed in 398 baguette diamonds and 36 yellow diamonds (totalling approximately 19.67 carats), creating a supreme illumination of time and the tourbillon.

The watch is equipped with a mechanical hand-wound 2795 calibre comprising 169 parts and endowed with an almost two-day power reserve. This new tonneau-shaped movement is developed and crafted within the manufacture. The exceptional character of the calibre is underscored by its Côtes de Genève decoration, meticulous hand-chamfering of the bar edges, and engraved individual serial number.

Established in 1755 in Geneva, Vacheron Constantin is the world’s oldest watch manufacture and has been making watches without any interruption for more than 260 years.

The new collection will be showcased to aficionados in Doha, Qatar, tomorrow.